Poetic Tragedy
by XxXChiharu-Chan-1000-SpringsXx
Summary: Poetry operates by raising our curiosity, engaging the mind by degrees to take an interest in the event, keeping that event suspended, and surprising at last with an unexpected catastrophe. She hated everything about poetry. Genesis/Oc.
1. The Burlesque

**A/N:** This is a Genesis/Oc story. Thank you for reading! I'm sure you will be intrested! Anyway, each chapter is named after a type of poetry. Enjoy! There will be an author's note at the bottom as well!

* * *

Her hair was a bright shade of blonde, like her mother always imagined it to be.

Her favorite color was blue, because it reminded her of the sky and how it had no limits.

Her eyes were always filled with happiness—but she was the only one who couldn't feel it when she smiled.

Her heart was locked away within her body. She held on tightly to it so it would never crumble.

She made the world laugh, as only a "joker" would.

She was a performer of all sorts of things.

But she was best at one thing.

Tragedies.

* * *

**-: Prologue: The Burlesque :-**

_Crystal lakes and waterfalls,  
Swimming under tiny stars.  
The night, So calm..._

_Always mirthful, laughing strong  
Nothing ever gets you down.  
Please, smile, for me_

"Summoner's Love" -- Unknown

Well. This was practically gold! I never, in a million years, would have thought I'd be here. But of course, I was no ordinary person, was I? I always got the cheep end of the stick, didn't I? They called me the performer. Yeah. A Performer! Psh-shaw, I took that test! You were expected to take the personality test to even be_ considered_ a Turk. So, I was _the performer_. And from that day on, people decided to pick on me and call me 'the performer'. As if. The test results said that I felt like, "All the world's a stage!" Whatever the heck that meant.

The test said that I was playful and fun loving, and I wished to help everyone around me lighten up. Okay, yes, I loved to play pranks on people. So what? Why live life like one giant business trip? Lighten up! The test also said that I radiate warmth and optimism! Truth was, I really didn't like to be left alone. Silence was frightening to me. I hated the stuff. It's just that—that sound. The sound of emptiness scared me more than anything on the _planet_. But I was always up for something new!

But then… the test got to something just a _little_ sketchy. Romance.

And when I looked at that part of the test, I rolled my eyes sarcastically. As a romantic partner, I was_ supposedly_ fun and affectionate, leading an _active _life full of friends. Let me tell you something. I didn't believe in the word 'boyfriend'. You want to know why? Because, having a boyfriend automatically meant that you were weak. Feeble. Pathetic. Having a boyfriend meant that you needed someone to lean on. Someone to hold you up.

I wasn't going to become some girl that desperately needed attention. I made sure of that. Anyway, as I looked at my results, I couldn't help but snicker at the second nickname they gave me. But it was fitting! I was "the joker," of all things! Look, this test was really not needed. I knew who I was! I didn't need some stupid test telling me who I was on the inside! I was friendly, warm, active, and enthusiastic. Those were the four things I went by. Oh, and I really had a muse for writing.

But 'cha know? What the _hell _was I doing at a place like this? I was going to see LOVELESS, and there was something extremely wrong with that. I hated poetry. I hated poetry with a burning passion. Well, people walk up to me and say, "Mireya, you're a writer. How can you feel so bitter towards poetry?" Well, you honestly haven't crossed the very _thin_ line between poetry and literature, my friend.

With writing, you don't have to worry about all that rhyming crap. Ok, maybe I was just bitter because I, myself, couldn't write poetry. I tried _once_. Yep, and I'll never try again. It was Mother's Day, and my mother usually goes all goggle-eyed for poetry. Yeah, when I showed her my poem, she squealed like a little pig, but I knew it sucked. And why was I watching a play? Gaia, I should have been getting more information on the Wutai situation. Man, if Shinra didn't take that thing seriously, we were going to have a war with these people!

Now… where were we? Oh yeah, LOVELESS. I know what you're thinking: If I hated the thing so much, why didn't I just not go at all? Because, I was sucked into seeing it. Yeah, I was in the Study Group.

I heard it would look good on your resume, okay?

Now, I didn't fanaticize about _anything _Genesis Rhapsodos did. Sure, he was a 1st class SOLDIER and all, but that was just a name. While other girls often cooed and made up stupid idealistic theories about what Genesis thought about the oh-so-loved missing act of LOVELESS, I sat and studied up on espionage, kidnappings, and assassinations.

Yep, that was what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a Turk. But that didn't get me anywhere, studying while other girls fantasized over LOVELESS. I didn't even become a full-fledged Turk. I'm just a junior member now. Well, anyway, back to the Study Group. Though I _did_ study most of the time in the Study Group, the girls made sure they beat knowledge into my head about Genesis. Genesis this. Genesis that. Did you know Genesis is twenty-five-years-old? I'd love to at least hold his rapier! Oh Gaia, they wouldn't shut up! I hated LOVELESS, and I hated that 1st class SOLDIER almost as much as I hated Sephiroth. All SOLDIERS did was take Turks' paychecks.

So, I wore an exquisite-strapless lace dress that overlaid satin for an out-of-this-world effect. The dress was pink, but black lace sat on top of it. I could move around in that thing, because the dress barely made it over the top of my knees. There was a pink-satin belt tied on my waist, and it that was the part that overlaid the dress. I am a natural blond, 5'7", green eyes and peachy skin. So why did people see something _unique_ in me? I wasn't any different from the norm. But I knew that had to be because of my "joker personality."

Wait. Why was I trying to look good for this crappy play anyway?

And you know what I didn't get? Who the hell was this Goddess? That play made no sense whatsoever. As a matter of fact, what was the "Gift of the Goddess," anyway? I heard it was about these three guys who looked for some toy, which was absolutely a horrible plot. I mean, I didn't even want to watch _The Three Little Pigs_, and now, these girls thought I wanted to watch some _Wise Men _crack? I guess I couldn't say anything. I couldn't object. If I wanted to make it big in the writing industry, I needed a group to belong to, didn't I?

And then there was a line for this freaking thing.

Which meant I stood out in the cold, wet, outside… place. In high heels. With twelve other obnoxious teenage girls, all screaming about how cool LOVELESS was going to be. Somebody walked past me, and asked me if I was those girls' proctor. Did I really look that old? I mean, I was twenty-three! Did I look forty or something? Normally, I would've just smiled and waved at such a remark, but I did the _exact _opposite! I fell into a spiraling fit of denial. Poor me.

What if some crazy Wutai guys found a way into the place and started attacking? I didn't have my bow anywhere on me. Okay, so I talk a good game, but deep inside, I'm a total loser. A crybaby, if you will. Of course, this was the premier of the play, so I would have been surprised not to have seen Genesis himself here. And I was surprised. It looked like Mr. 1st class didn't make it. Or, at least, I hadn't seen him standing in the line I was in. But that could have just meant that Mr. 1st class got a free ticket inside or something. I hated SOLDIERS. Always cheating.

I adjusted my glasses and began to read through this book called "Minerva's Tragedy," which was very interesting. She's an existence that transcends all matter. Now, I wouldn't mind reading a poem about Minerva. She seemed like a woman in charge of things. I wanted to be just like Minerva. She was beautiful, wise, and strong. I wanted to wear her shoes at the moment. Man, what I wouldn't give to be like her. And as the line got shorter and people began to fill the seats of the of the stadium, I couldn't help but feel my stomach drop.

I was going to sit for three hours.

I was going to sit for three hours through LOVELESS.

I was going to sit for three hours through LOVELSS, because of some bratty teenage girls.

I was going to sit for three hours through LOVELESS, because of some bratty teenage girls that I just couldn't say no to.

I was going to sit for three hours through LOVESLESS, because of some bratty teenage girls that I just couldn't say no to. I couldn't say no because I was Mireya, "the joker". The "performer".

Well. This was practically gold! I never, in a million years, would have thought I'd be here.

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**A/N:** So, the reason I decided to write a Genesis/OC fic would be because I saw that the fandom was really void of the stuff. I mean, Genesis is awesome, wouldn't you agree? And I feel like Genesis should have at least had a girl friend or something in Crisis Core. Genesis sure could seduce me by reading a line from LOVELESS any day of the week. XD Seriously though, this story takes place before the Wutai war started, thus meaning that Genesis didn't betray Shinra yet. So technically, I'm not messing with the time-line here? And don't worry, Genesis isn't going to go ga-ga for Mireyra. Which is pronounced (Miree ah). It's Latin. I'm Latin. XD It's going to take Genesis a long time to fall in love with Mireya. So that means that this story is going to move slow. Also, it's going to get long. This is just the start. So, reviews? Chiharu loves them. XD


	2. The Carpe Diem

**-: Chapter two: The Carpe Diem :-**

_Go on just say it,  
You need me like a bad habit,  
One that leaves you defenseless, dependent, and alone.  
Go on just say it (Are you afraid to?)_

Taking Back Sunday -- "One Eighty by Summer"

**.**

Carpe Diem: Latin Expression that means 'seize the day'. Carpe diem poems have a theme of living for today.

**.**

So, yeah. Where was I again? Sorry, I guess it was just _too_ hard for me to concentrate when there were virtually no freaking seats left in this place! Claustrophobia quickly set in. But do you want to know _why _I was freaking out on the inside? Gaia, I didn't want to sit in-between two fat, sweaty, female LOVELESS fans. Man, there was nothing more mortifying than being sandwiched in-between two fat people.

Okay, think of this. There's this belt of energy around everyone. Yes, everyone. Babies, children, firefighters, SOLDIERS, Turks—everyone! You see, fat people have this belt around them—a special belt. Ever sit in a room and think to yourself, "Man, It's hot in here all of a sudden." Ever notice that you were sitting in-between two fat people? No? Well, now you know why it was hot. It was hot because fat people's energy collide with each other, creating a rip in time and making it hotter.

To just get right to the sugary point: Never sit between two excited, overweight, LOVELESS fans. Especially if they're females. Or you will burn up like a hot crisp on Tuesday. The girls must have forgotten all about me, because they ran all over the place like a frenzy of rabid fangirls or something. Really? Who would have been stupid enough to fangirl over a play? But I was one to talk. I followed them like only a mortified puppy would. I was lost.

But more than anything, I was anxious! I was afraid out of my mind! Holy hell, Mireya, me, junior Turk, was going to sit through LOVELESS. What. Was. I. Thinking?

Was I even thinking at all?

There were a million things I could have been doing! Walking my bird! Writing a book! …Getting interrogated by Wutai warriors? Eep! I almost fell walking through the filled rows of the stadium! Luckily, one of the girls caught my hand, saving me from appending tumbling-down-the-stadium doom.

"Mireya! You can't fall while LOVELESS is airing!" The short, brunette girl that apparently stopped my fall exclaimed. Of course, I blinked in confusion. And then I groaned. What _was_ I doing here? I'm sure my woe was showing all over my face, and that was probably why she looked at me like half of my face was dripping off my head. Y'see, I hadn't _exactly_ told the girls about my hatred for LOVELESS. 'Cause let's face it. If I had told them I hated LOVELSS, I'd be out of a side job, and I would be a Turk for the rest of my life. Poor me.

"Nah, I'm good, uh… what's your name again?" I asked, standing on my two feat. The girl looked at me, confused yet again! What? I was never one to be good with names! I was sorry if someone felt like I was ignoring their existence by forgetting their name. I only remembered the important stuff. Like I said before, a name's a name! It was no big deal! So what, my name was Mireya! It wasn't like someone was going to throw me this huge party or something! And the bad part about this girl holding my hand was that she was griping the arm with my bird glove on it! Man, she was going to mess up the meshing on it, no doubt!

"Remember, Mireya? My name's Nola—oh look! There's a whole row over there! Run, girls!" Nola chimed, all happy and stuff. Man, fangirls must get heightened abilities when they want something really badly. Yeah, Nola had to have been a man in a dress, because she pulled me—by my hand—halfway across the stadium! It was either she was a man, or I was really light and weightless. I didn't think I was anorexic, but Gaia! The girls giggled and stared at the row of empty seats before we finally got there. Nola let go of my hand and sat down into her seat. Well, guess what?

Figuring that I _might_ have wanted a seat because I _paid _for a ticket to see this thing, I sat down on what I _thought_ was a seat. But 'cha know? My seat felt really weird and fleshy. I got up slowly, turned my head around, and then I saw a guy. In my seat. He sure as hell wasn't there when we walked over here! My face must of turned five shades of crimson. Only it… didn't. Because I'm a crybaby. I pouted and crossed my arms around my chest instead.

Now, not _only_ did I have to sit through LOVELESS, but I had to fight for my seat?

What? This was ridiculous! Man! Anyway, the guy looked hella cocky, smirking while I got up to tell him off. But we all knew what I was really going to do. I was going to chicken out. I always chicken out. "Hey, this was my seat! I'm sure you seen me run over for it, guy!" I babbled, waving my hands frantically in the air. Everyone thought I was too good to start a fight. Everyone thought I was too frail. Too thin. Too outgoing. Too reserved. Too fat. Too cute. Today was not a good day to piss me off! If this guy was smart, he'd get up and find another seat!

"Yeah, I saw you walk over here. And I also saw you attempt a mediocre lap dance on me just a couple seconds ago. Now, if you'd excuse me, I'd like to watch LOVELESS in peace." Now, you can only _imagine_ my response. Angry? Maybe. Confused? Just a little. Pissed off? Hell yeah! Mediocre? Lap dance? … Mediocre? I clinched my fists. Anyone within an ear-shot could have heard the steam practically escaping from my head. The lights dimmed, and LOVELESS was just about to start. Oh joy.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Seat. Now. Or so help me…" I seethed, clinching my fists. This guy had some nerve! "I will castrate you with my bare hands!" I yelled. "Look, today is not a good day to get on my bad side! In fact, it is a very bad day to mess with me! First, I have to stand outside in high heels waiting to get inside this crapfest, I spent about fifty thousand gill getting a freaking ticket for this thing, and now, I've gotta put up with you?!" I continued. People started to yell at me, probably because they couldn't hear the play starting on the stage. Forget all of them! This guy was still sitting in my seat, so I wasn't going anywhere!

"Hey, you're kinda in the way. If you hate the play so much, leave then, you cranky little—"

"You don't want to finish that sentence," I murmured. Nola got up and tapped me on the shoulder. I ignored her. Hey, if I got kicked out, I just got kicked out. I heard some people talking on cell phones, which normally meant that someone called the security department on me. I'd be damned if someone took me out of here! But man, if I did get kicked out, that wouldn't have looked too good on my Turk record, or my resume for writing. Oh, Gaia, I could hear their questions now, "You got kicked out of a play you didn't like because you couldn't find a seat? And you threatened to remove a guy's testicals with your hands?"

Oh, the horror.

I should have just threw the guy out of my seat and had been done with this. But stuff like that never—ever goes according to plan. I sighed. "Look, if they throw me out, they'll throw you out too. Just get up, guy."

"Guy? That's not my name? Here, let me give you a 'proper' introduction. My name's Rox. SOLDIER. 3rd class. Nice to meet you…" My lower eye started to twitch. So, he was with SOLDIER, huh? Why hadn't I noticed it before? Okay, I think I know why. This guy had long, messy blond hair and Mako infused eyes. They weren't really blue though. Maybe they were cerulean. I didn't know. I think I failed the color test in kindergarten. His hair fell to his lower back, and he wore a tuxedo, of all things.

Should I have even told him my name?

Man, I was going to regret this later. I folded my arms and looked in the other direction. I hated the thought of having a boyfriend, true, but cute guys were my weakness.

"My name's Mireya. Turk. Junior Turk. I'm also exhausted and pissed, and slowly running out of patience for you," I huffed, shifting my gaze towards him. Oh Gaia. The man was _gorgeous_. "So, Rox," I grinned. "Is this your way of trying to get a date? Stealing girls' seats in a play like LOVELESS? Clearly, your charm isn't working." I said, with the same forced-smile still plastered on my face. Why was I even smiling? Well, I was smiling because I'm a crybaby, remember? I may talk a good game, but I totally can't fight with my hands! Rox smirked before standing up and sort of bowing in front of me.

I couldn't believe this guy. Why didn't he do that before they called security on me? Or _started_ the play, for that matter? Rox towered over me, which was really distracting and intimidating me. I laughed nervously before raising my hands up. But then I put them back down. So, Rox thought he was messing with my mind, did he? Now people started screaming at me. No, people started to yell at us _both_. He was only making the situation worse by not moving out of the way so I could take my damn seat!

"Nice to meet you them, Mireya. You want to know something, Turk? I hate poetry," he said, pausing. So, he hated poetry? Big whoop. So what was he doing here? What was_ I_ doing here? I didn't like this guy. I was getting a high rating on my bad-guy-vibe radar from Rox. And then the guy raised the rating until it couldn't be raised anymore.

He brushed his hand across my face.

Yeeep.

I yelped like a little puppy.

"You seem to hate poetry too, Turk. Look, I'll pay for your ticket an everything. Why don't we just get out of here? Security is coming to get us anyway." Creepy, creepy, creepy creep of a guy that Rox was! I wanted to kick him in his precious cargo, just so he'd leave me alone! He probably set all of this up! Even if I had said no, security was just going to come and kick me out, anyway. And it wouldn't go on my record if I went with him.

And oh, Gaia, I was _blushing_!

"Slow down, SOLDIER." I breathed, turning the other way to hide my disgraceful blushing face. "Whatever you are planning, I'm not buying into it! Now if you'd excuse me, I'd like to take my seat! Nice meeting you, Rox." I paused, expecting the security to take me away at any second. I closed my eyes, tired of looking at Rox and melting—even when I didn't know who the hell this guy was. And then… you want to know what happened?

Yeah.

There was this _huge_ f'in explosion! I let out the loudest, most girlish scream in all of my crybaby existence. People started panicking and running all around the place. I blushed insanely again as Rox caught me before I started panicking myself. I closed my eyes again and hung on to Rox for dear life. I hated loud noises. I… oh Gaia! I just didn't want to be here anymore!

"Shit," he murmured, wrapping his right arm around me and putting his left hand in his pocket, I heard a loud, monstrous roar—and I swear—I was this close to bawling my eyes out. Then the screams turned to earth-shattering cries. Okay, that was when I started crying. "Gee, Turk, is this how you act when you're fighting? Maybe I should come to events like this and steal pretty girls' seats more often, huh? Don't you see that thing down there? Today was a good day to leave my Materia at home, eh?"

I opened my eyes and tried to blink away my stray tears. Rox still had the same smirk on his face as before, and the arm he had around my back found its way around my waist, bringing me closer to him. In all of my stupid girlyness, I blushed again. But wait. Fighting?

With what?

I turned my head to see a big-ass Behemoth standing right on the stage. The security department—or what was left of them—were sprawled out on the floor. Rox let me go, and pulled out a bead of some sort. Gaia, gaia, gaia!

Where the hell was everyone? SOLDIER? The Turks? The rest of the flipping department? I stepped back and got into a fighting stance. I held out my glove-covered arm, laughing sarcastically at what Rox had just said. I stood on the back of two seats. Man, what did I overdose on before coming here? "Who, me? Shuddup, Rox. Remember what I said about today not being a good day? Fine. If anyone else isn't going to do it, I'll 'attempt' to take this thing out," I paused, looking really nervous. "You're… you're going to help me try to beat this thing, right?"

Man, what was I thinking? I couldn't take on that thing! I didn't even have my bow! My signature weapon! My soul! And Gaia help me if I didn't get my whistle right to call my friend. "So, Rox, you know what this means? Everyone who likes LOVELESS are damn cowards!" And then that's when the Behemoth got pissed. Rox pulled out a cellphone. Man, damn SOLDIERS and their cell phones! We Turks got nothing! I used the time to start whistling as he talked to someone on the other line. Rox looked at me like I was crazy, but I knew what I was doing!

"So, Turk, doing bird calls, huh? 'Thought more SOLDIERS would be here. Turns out I was wrong. I've gotta hold this thing off until the 2nds and hopefully 1sts get here. That is, if they all aren't on missions. You with me, Turk?" I smirked. He needed me. Without me, he'd be dead within two seconds. Oh, Gaia.

Yeah, I was going to _die_ today.

Yep. I was really regretting this! Stupid LOVELESS! Stupid Study Group! Stupid Genesis Rhapsodos! My face darkened as my ace-in-the-hole came flying to my side. Rox walked towards me as my pet latched onto my glove-covered arm. Because Nola messed up the mesh on it, it kinda hurt when my bird clawed into my arm.

Okay, let me stop trying to sound cool.

It hurt like hell! Blood was practically seeping from my arm! Do you know how hard it was to keep myself from crying in front of Rox? Again?

"So, Turk, that's your means of attack? That bird? Wow, you're getting more and more interesting by the second…"

"She's… her name's Trick. No other bird like her. Fast, deadly, a stomach full of Materia, smart—everything you could ever ask for in a falcon like her," I paused, sharpening my stance. Heh, who did Rox think he was? What was his means of attack?

And then Rox silenced me. Rox must have pressed some kind of button on that bead he pulled out earlier, because it turned into some sort of whip with a fire Materia imbued within it. Now let's see if he could kick some ass with that girly weapon of his.

But there was nothing wrong with a sexy man with a whip.

What?

Seriously.

"No more games," I yelled, pointing my free hand towards the Behemoth. "Go, Trick! Trick Swarm!" After I said that, Trick flew off my arm and started to irritate the Behemoth. I'll give her credit, Trick was really giving him the ol' one-two!

Okay. Soppy crybaby time.

"Rooox! Hurry up and fight the thing already! If—if anything happens to her… I'll never forgive you!" I shrieked. Rox nodded his head and ran towards the Behemoth with lightning speed.

"Don't worry! If the bird dies, I'll just buy you another, Turk." He smirked, reading is attack. I watched in anticipation, mortified, my nails practically sticking to my mouth. What did he mean 'buy me another'? I loved Trick with all my heart! I spent_ years_ training her!"

"You can't replace skill, Rox!" I yelled. Rox unraveled his whip, flames whisping everywhere. Rox constricted the Behemoth in it, and dude, that must have been the longest whip in all of history! The Behemoth, however, just took a big chunk out of Rox and slammed him into the a wall, making half of the stadium collapse. I almost fell for the fifth time today! "Trick!" I called out. "Trick Cura!"

Oh Gaia. Oh Gaia. The Behemoth looked towards me with a spinal-cord-snapping scream. I didn't even look at anything else. I just climbed the stadium as fast as one wearing heels could. That's Mireya for: I climbed all the way to the top.

Hey, did you know Behemoths could _fly_?

Or at least, jump really high? Okay, yeah, that was stupid oh me to forget. But it jumped right in front of me, breaking the stadium a lot more. Look, I don't know how it happened, but I found myself dangling for dear life. Tears instantly rolled down my cheeks. And I swear, I must of said _all_ of my goodbyes right then and there. I knew I was going to die! Because if I let go of the ledge I was hanging off of, my ass was Behemoth food! And then, from the corner of my eye, I saw this red light. And then, I wasn't hanging off a ledge anymore.

But I wasn't chancing it. I still kept my eyes glued shut. I didn't here any heavy breathing from the Behemoth, and I felt arms around me. Rox saved me. I couldn't have been any happier.

"Oh thank Gaia! I'm so happy you saved me! You're the best SOLDIER I've ever met in my existence! I'd marry you! Why, I'd do what ever you asked me to do! You're so much better than Genesis!"

"… I am Genesis. Nice to meet you too."

Oh. Crap.

What a crap day.

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, way to make a first impression, huh, Mireya? XD So, what will Genesis do? Oh, and wow. Thank you guys for the reviews. I can't do it without you! And quick update for the win! XD Seriously, you guys reviews are my drive. I have nineteen other fics I should be working on, and thanks to your reviews, I choose to update this. XD Anyway, what do you guys think of Mr. Third Class? XD It's almost one, and I should go to sleep. Happy reviewing, guys! XD


	3. The Ballade

**-:****Chapter Three: The Ballade:-**

_If I were in your shoes I'd run a thousand miles just to tell you.  
If I were in your room, using just my eyes I would tell you._

_There's something you didn't know you've got your teeth in me and it hurts.  
And I'm a lie away from saying what I really think._

"If I Were In Your Shoes" -- Me and You At Six

**.**

Ballade: a poem consisting of three stanzas of eight or ten lines and a short concluding explanatory stanza envoy, all of which end with the same refrain.

**.**

When I was born, I was so surprised that I didn't talk for a year and a half. Now look at me.

We women take love too seriously. Men wish to be loved with laughter, not with sighing. So laugh, sweetheart, laugh, or soon you may be weeping!

Ah… please forgive me. The dawdling of a LOVELESS hater. Urgh. My body hurt all over the place. I turned my head to the left, and stared in awe at all the posters around the room I was in. This place smelled like a hospital. A… _children's hospital_, no less. Oh, come on! Did anyone see these _boobs?_ I know they're not the largest ones in the world, but damn it! Someone notice them! I slowly sat up, and saw a 'Rock Paper Scissors' poster above my head.

I understand how scissors can beat paper, and I get how rock can beat scissors, but there no freaking way paper can beat rock. Is paper supposed to magically wrap around rock and leave it immobile? Why the hell can't paper do this to scissors, why the hell can't paper do this to people? Why aren't sheets of college rule notebook paper constantly suffocating students as they take notes in class? I'll tell you why, because paper can't beat anybody. A rock would tear that crap up in two seconds. When I play rock paper scissors, I always choose rock. Then when somebody claims to have beaten me with paper I can punch them in the face with my already clenched fist and say, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought paper would protect you, you asshole!"

I silently laughed at myself. Okay now. Let's get serious. Hospitals are not my thing, _children hospitals_ or not. I just don't _do_ hospitals. Yah see, I would have gotten out of the bed if I hadn't just realized I was _naked_. So yeah. I quickly dove back into my covers and rose the sheets over half of my face, trying to hide my blushing cheeks.

Well now. I hope no one had seen me… but'cha know? Life is a bitch. I turned my head to the right to be met with blonde Rox, Third Class SOLDIER.

"Don't worry your little head, Mireya. I'd never take advantage of you." Rox smirked, adjusting his gloves.

"You have one advantage over me, you can kiss my ass and I can't," I shot, rolling my eyes. Rox just grinned at me, flashing his stupid white teeth. Bastard.

"I'd like to kiss something else of your's, Mireya," he cooed, standing up from the seat he was sitting in. Who the hell did Rox think he was? Now, did he really think I was going to fall for such stupid tactics? I smiled my most mischievous smile.

"You think I can't kick your ass, Rox? Yeah, watch this," I muttered, clearly pissed. I tied the blanket around my body, extra careful to not overexpose myself to this guy. I hate this guy. Err, hate. I pointed an index finger at him. "Yeah, what ever, blondie. You're the only person in this entire world who seems to have a _crazy infatuation _with me," I sighed, propping my arms on my waist. "Look SOLDIER. I don't _date. _It's not me. Stop trying!" I yelled. Rox just folded his arms and cocked a brow. I seethed.

"Oh, so, that means you've never really been kissed then, Mireya?" Rox questioned. Huh? I blushed a bit and started to babble. Oh geez. This guy's weird…

"Of course!" I lied. I lied my _ass off_. Okay. So… what? I didn't need a boyfriend, comprende? But that was… beside the point! I knew how to kiss people and all of that jazz. Just because I haven't had a date doesn't mean I don't know how to kiss! I bet I was way better than Rox anyway! "Look, where are we, and what happened to the LOVELESS play thing? And after you answer those questions," I snapped, stomping my foot into the ground. "I'm leaving! And I hope to never, ever see you again, Rox! You're pretty much dead to me now!" I wanted this man to die already!

I hate to admit it, but even after years of religious training, I really don't believe in the afterlife. I still think that human beings, even our beautiful and wretched souls, are just biology, are just a series of chemical and physical reactions that one day stop, and so do we, and that is that. But I'm looking forward to this blank peace, this oblivion, this nothing, this not being me anymore. Though this Goddess book has been getting to me…

I closed my eyes for a split second, falling into _emo_ mode, and Rox somehow managed to walk up towards me, grab my wrists, slam me into the wall, and pierce my skull with his those Mako eyes of his. Oh, Gaia…

"Those are some harsh words, Turk," he smiled, smirking wildly at me. "Aww, you wound me. Death is a horrible thing, y'know. Has anyone close to you ever died? Are you afraid of dying?" What the hell was this? Ask stupid questions—get punched in the mouth? Sure, this guy had Mako transfusions and infusions—but get this. I'm a Turk. I get paid a lot of cash to kill people. A lot of people, might I add. I'd _break_ Rox's fingers.

…But I just don't feel like it! Yeah. That's right!

What? I'm tough, damn it!

"I wouldn't mind dying. It's the business of having to stay dead that scares the shit out of me," I mumbled, giving Rox a good high-kick to the stomach. Yeah, take that, biatch! He staggered for a bit before the door opened up. Oh no. It was him. That Genesis guy. Today was not my day. He walked in all cool like, and smirking—at that.

"Truth is generally kindness, but where the two diverge and collide, kindness should override truth," he mused, holding his stupid LOVELESS book in his right hand. Why was SOLDIER filed with pricks, people? "Ah, Rox, good to see you again, my friend." he paused, wiping some of his auburn hair out of his eyes. My eyes were now literally burning with rage! …Seriously. I needed some eye drops. "I have lived, tomorrow, I shall sleep in glory. I believe we have already met?"

I scoffed. Ah-ho-ho. Somebody's about to get their _ass kicked!_ "Yes, Genesis. I guess. One word of advise, though. I hate you. No, not even hate. I _abhor _you. No, not even that. When I think of all the energy I wasted hating you… Simply put, big mouths and small brains don't mix!"

"Sooner or later, that which is now life shall be poetry, and every fair and manly trait shall add a richer strain to the song, Mireya," he answered, not even bothered by my comment! What the hell? "We are writing in the sky instead of on paper - that's our song. Lift your eyes and look up in the sky. There's our message. Lift your eyes again and look around you, and you will see that you are walking in the sky, which extends to the ground. We are all part of the sky, more so than the ground. Mireya, do you have any idea who might have summed the behemoth?"

I cracked my knuckles. FUCK NO! "No, I have no idea, Rhapsodos," I seethed. "What are you implying?!"

"Calm down, Turk!" Rox laughed, wholeheartedly. I glared at him. "Some people said they saw a sketchy woman who looked like you. But, as fate would have it, you were with me the whole night, right, Turk?" Yep. Someone's going to lose their toes, I see.

"Don't be humble. You're not that great," I shot. "I'm not listening, but keep talking. I enjoy the way your voice makes my ears bleed." You know what? Silence is golden. Duck tape is silver.

"She means no, Genesis." Rox smirked. Genesis then walked towards me, at looked down at me like I was some kind of subordinate. I was not that short!

"Shinra wants to investigate, and they are pinpointing you as their lead. The human heart has hidden treasures. In secret kept, in silence sealed. Has anyone close to you died? This is going deeper than just an investigation." My eyes literally lit up. Huh? Come again? I'm being accused of summoning a behemoth?! Look at me! Look at my frame! Uh, I can't summon a big ass behemoth!!! I can barely keep up with my Matera, let alone summon! I turned to face Rox, who was laughing up a storm. His snickering was really getting under my skin!

"People say that laughter is the best medicine. Your face must be curing the world!" I stomped. "Well—Rhapsodos—I don't think I feel comfortable with telling you my personal business, really," I crossed my arms, wiping a strand of my hair out my eyes. I knew how to act around people like Rhapsodos. "I dunno. It's kind of weird to talk about someone's death to a complete stranger."

"Mireya dear, this is not a choice you have," Genesis said in this poetic voice. Urgh. "Against one perfect moment, the centuries beat in vain. In every work of genius, we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. Shinra is talking about imprisoning you, love." Grah! How? I didn't _do _anything! All I did was go to the stupid LOVELESS play and almost die from trying to protect the stadium! This was going nowhere.

"Fine. Fine. But I don't see what this has to do with anything. I had a sister, and she died. So what? What is this, Ghostbusters?"

"Was she buried, Turk?" Rox asked, putting on a serious look. I tilled my head. Well, duh. Of course. I didn't keep her in my refrigerator now, did I? Ew.

"Yes, Rox," I sighed. Man, my eyes were starting to water. It's just that… every time I think about the girl, I start crying for no apparent reason. My sister taught me everything I really need to know, and she was only in sixth grade at the time. She was older than me, yes, but I looked up to her, even though we fought all the time. "No matter how hard I squeezed them, I couldn't feel the weight of her palms against mine—it was like holding the hands of a disappearing soul. My heart felt like it was exploding. Waaaah!" I cried. No, it was more like a burst into tears, jumping into Rox's arms, and he kept trying to pull me away from him.

"C'mon Turk! This is a new uniform!"

"Shuddup Rox! Two more seconds!" I sniffed.

"We cannot prevent…the birds of sorrow from flying over our heads…but we can refuse…to let them build nests...in our hair," Genesis mused. I just kept crying like a baby. "Mireya, today must be your lucky day, dear. This is a serious mission, and as such, they have sent me to accompany you to your sister's resting place."

"Bastard…" I muttered. "You knew she was dead all along, didn't you? They should have it on my records, right?!" I turned around and pointed at Genesis. "Wha-what about my Turk business? I have to work for a living, Rhapsodos!"

"I thought that my invincible power would hold the world captive, leaving me in a freedom undisturbed. Thus night and day I worked at the chain with huge fires and cruel hard strokes. When at last the work was done and the links were complete and unbreakable, I found that it held me in its grip. Shinra will take care of it."

Oh, this dude did not think I was going to take him to my sister's grave, did he? "My clothes? My bird? My dignity?"

"All taken care of, Turk. Seriously, this guys a first. Just listen to him for a change."

Because of the plethora of asshole men, I came to find myself searching for a non-asshole. How sad is that! But you know what? I find the phenomenon is quite common: _Okay, he doesn't listen to me, but he doesn't hit me when he gets mad_, or _No, I'm not attracted to him, but he listens to me_, or _I sure as hell don't enjoy his company, but he splits the housework..._ Fuck that shit. I want—no, I demand—an artistic, spiritual, playful, intelligent, sensitive, drop-dead gorgeous man. On a motorcycle. So eat me!

My assets are my fucking assets, and the only liabilities I saw now was the limp, threatened ego of a man who couldn't hold a flame to my fire.

Men! They are the enemies of our innocence and our peace—they drag us away from our parents' love and our sisters' friendship—they take us body and soul to themselves, and fasten our helpless lives to theirs as they chain up a dog to his kennel. And what does the best of them give us in return?

One day, it just happens. You completely snap. Your last single friend announces her engagement to the schmo she met two months ago, or your married boss hits on you just when you think you've managed to impress him with your work smarts, or you're forced off the sidewalk by a couple and their double-barreled baby stroller. It's all too much. It might not be dramatic—a sudden freak-out or breakdown. It could simply be the cumulative effect of watching the world surge past and around you—the showers, the weddings, the new houses, the better jobs, the damn baby photos. Everyone else seems to know what she wants—and how to get it—yet you consistently feel overlooked, under loved, and, let's face it, screwed, in every way except literally.

You know you shouldn't feel this way. You don't want to become some whiney malcontent. But you can't shake this unresolved restlessness, this nameless dissatisfaction with your life. You've tried to put it in perspective—there's real tragedy in the world, real crisis and pain—you know, you know, you know. … You've seen what illness and death and estrangement can do. You carry all sorts of loss within you.

That's why the baby stroller people or the smarmy boss or the schmo-marrying friend put you right over the edge—you're tired of losing people and losing hope. You feel a great longing for companionship and connectedness, for knowing that what you do means something, for gratification and peace of mind, but it keeps eluding you despite your best efforts. And every reminder of this longing cuts into your spirit again and again until you just can't take it. When will you stop feeling so bereft, mourning what you've lost (friends, true loves, your mother's approval) and what you've never had (the little household of your dreams, a soul-fulfilling vocation, your mother's approval)?

Yep. That's me pretty much. My mother practically hates me.

Why would I marry? I'm not made to be any man's chattel. I have my work, which I love. I have my home—it is not much, I grant, yet sufficient for my shelter. But more than these, I have something very few women can claim: my freedom. I will not lightly surrender it!

Did you know the male bee is nothing but the slave of the queen? And once the male bee has—how should I say—serviced the queen, the male dies. All in all, not a bad system. Not at all.

But what am I talking about?

"So, Rhapsodos. Tell your little SOLDIER leader that I'm complying. I'm complying, damn it. I don't have much time, I have to breathe, eat, drink, sleep. I don't have much time, I have to keep the gears meshing. I don't have much time, I'm busy living. I don't have much time, I'm busy dying. So. Let's go."

"It is not a sign of arrogance for the Goddess to rule. That is what she is there for," Genesis smirked. I rolled my eyes. "I'll await until you are ready. There is no hate, only joy. For you are beloved by the goddess. Hero of the dawn, healer of worlds." And then he left. Weird. What the hell was that all about? So yeah, by this time, I looked like a _very_ unhappy child.

I looked at Rox, who was still snickering a bit at me.

"You go girl," I muttered. "And never come back, will ya Rox?"

* * *

**A/N:** OMG! Chiharu updated! Happy day! XD Yes I did guys. And keep the reviews o' coming, guys. I live off of them. Your support helps me to push through the next chapter. I'm sure you are all familar with Chinree, yes? And if you're not, go read 'Our World Is Grey'! What does Chinree have to do with all this? I dunno. Wait. I do know, but I'm not telling. The good news is... is that Genesis and Mireya go on a mission together! It's NOT going to be that easy. XD

So, this chapter goes out to Prisonerksc2-303, for I love the reviews you send me! They are almost more hilarious than Mireya herself. Oh, and Rei-Yunacat. XD I know you're reading this. XD And Nyssale13!

So yeah. I'm out, people! XD


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